Early Monday morning, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck just east-southeast of Berkeley, jolting residents across the San Francisco Bay Area awake in a sharp, unexpected tremor. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred shortly before 3 a.m. local time beneath the Hayward Fault.
Although the shaking was strong enough to wake many people, initial reports suggest there were no serious injuries. Some businesses reported broken windows, merchandise displaced from shelves, and shaken nerves.
Homes across the Bay Area felt the tremor. Some residents said their bed frames vibrated, pictures fell off walls, pets woke up and barked, and alarms were triggered accidentally. One person posted that the shaking felt “longer than usual,” and many took to social media in the early hours to report similar surprises.
Transportation systems felt the impact, though not severely. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system temporarily halted services to conduct safety inspections of tracks. By midday, normal service had resumed after crews confirmed no structural damage.
Geologists note that while this quake was noticeable, its magnitude and depth (roughly 4.8 miles or about 7.8 kilometres beneath the surface) put it in the moderate category. It was not large enough to trigger major hazards according to current assessments.
There has been some speculation about aftershocks. A minor 2.6 magnitude tremor was recorded later in the morning. Experts say the risk of a substantially stronger quake (magnitude 5.0 or higher) following this one is very low.
In Berkeley, near UC Berkeley campus and adjacent neighborhoods, people were among the most strongly shaken. Some residents reported shaking so intense they rushed outside, uncertain whether this was a foreshock of something bigger. Officials urged calm, noting that this type of quake—while loud and alarming—is not uncommon in this seismically active region.
Authorities and emergency services are urging people to check their emergency kits and stay alert for possible aftershocks. At the same time, they emphasize there is no current indication of a larger quake looming, and damage appears limited to minor structural rattling and shaken belongings.
As dawn breaks, Bay Area residents are assessing their homes, checking for damage, and comparing notes on what they felt. While the quake disrupted sleep and stirred anxiety, the region seems to have avoided serious harm. Many are breathing a sigh of relief, grateful that what was jolting in impact turned out to be mild in consequence.
Source: FOX Weather
